Mayor Jones Announces $10M Grant for Final Phase of Main Street Station Renovation

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

The city of Richmond has been working for more than 20 years to rehabilitate Main Street Station, one of downtown’s most visible landmarks, and turn it into a multimodal transportation center that will serve Amtrak, buses, shuttles, taxis and alternative modes of travel. Now, the renovation project is on the verge of entering its final phase of construction.

On April 10, the Richmond Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the regional body that allocates federal transportation funding, approved a $10 million grant to advance the third and final phase of the multi-year renovation. The next day, Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones announced his plans to introduce an ordinance to secure the grant at the City Council Meeting on April 14.

“The region has been working for more than two decades to renovate one of Richmond’s most iconic buildings into a true multi-modal transportation center,” the mayor said in a statement. “This funding will kick-start the final renovation phase and we’re grateful to our neighboring localities for supporting this effort to strengthen the region’s transportation network.”

The grants still needs the final approval from the Commonwealth Transportation Board. The city plans to start work on the third phase of the project this summer. At a cost of $48.5 million, it is expected to be completed in 2016. The third phase includes the renovation of the train shed, reopening Franklin Street through the train shed, improving site circulation and amenities, improving existing rail passenger amenities, adding electrical vehicle charging stations, and establishing a Transit Center, a Virginia Welcome/Travel Center and a Bicycle Welcome Center within the station.

RAMPO called Main Street Station an “existing project of regional significance.” Over the years, it has gained the support of the city of Richmond, the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, New Kent, Goochland, and numerous organizations and agencies that include the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration and Amtrak.